Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[BDutch]

I know I said I liked picking greens, but I should have mentioned that if I am not regular and don't do it every two days, it can become tedious as it takes more than 45 mn staying on my knees.

I have knee protectors from the DIY/builders shop (bought to lay a floor/tiles) and a handy foam mat 30 x 30 cm for gardening (a gift). For cleaning the coop floor and gardening I usually use the foam mat. But they both work great for my fragile knees.

A link to the the mat I have: Choose weigeren if you don’t like cookies: https://www.toolstation.nl/tuinknie...MI25ig_-upgAMV3paDBx1pdgDVEAQYBiABEgKVaPD_BwE

 

[BDutch]

Merle is tired and thinking..of getting broody..it's contagious!

Yes very contagious. My neighbour told me Katrientje was broody. Told her it was no problem and too much work to break her. SIL took over for 2 days because the neighbours went away for their hollidays. And he warned me there were 3 broodies now.
This mornjng I have definitely 4 broodies to break.
I ‘threw’ the lot of the nest box and closed the door on them, leaving food and water outside.
3 of them ; Ini mini, Pearl (preening) and Kraai. Katrientje managed to sneak inside again for a few minutes. Janice wasn't as broody as I thought last evening. .

 

[BDutch]

! It's not just my lot then! What's the weather like there? It's spring-like here. Actually, the way mushrooms are springing up and some leaves turning, maybe it's autumn come early. Here summer was June apparently

The weather is great here today.

Real nice to enjoy the sun. The garden did have enough rain while we were away.

 

[Perris]

yes it's nice here too today, temps about 18-20 C and light breeze, fluffy clouds, but there's more rain coming and I just heard a forecast that said the dull cool summer will continue till the second week of August - just when Janeka expects it to change!

 

[Perris]

8 weeks old today, and surprisingly, especially given the essentially feral first 6 weeks, Fez seems to be fully integrated into the flock, roosting in a coop, on a roost, usually next to or opposite the dom. Maybe it's because s/he was an only chick? Didn't you have an only chick ManueB? or have I confused flocks again ?
Anyway, the wattles haven't grown and I'm now thinking Fez is a pullet; if this is an 8 wk old cockerel's plumage I'll be very surprised. On the other hand, this chick has been a bundle of surprises from inception and I've already guessed twice it's a boy!

 

[ManueB]

I was thinking of you yesterday, Manue, because I ran up a mountain! Not really a mountain, but a long ramp up to a train station. In my case, it might as well have been a mountain, that's how rarely I run anywhere!


See how long the ramp is, it's a zigzag with 4 levels and 3 turns. It starts just in front of the grey-white car, then goes up to the left, turns, up to the right, turns, up to the left, turns, up to the right.

View attachment 3587944

I did really well, no injury! I was very thoroughly warmed up by the brisk walk to the train station from the place where I had taken the car for a service.

I arrived just as the train doors closed, I smashed the button to open the door again but the train driver did not let it reopen. He drove off. What a jerk. I had a 20 minute wait for the next train and spent maybe 10 of those minutes recuperating from the 1-minute run and congratulating myself on not hurting myself.

Congrats on running that steep ramp... and on keeping good spirit even though the driver didn't wait for you !

I think in the UK the ‘upper classes’ used to make a point of not dressing up. ‘The shabby worn out jacket was my grandfather’s - it came with the estate’ sort of thing.
The lower orders had a Sunday best and a party frock.

In the US it is superficially more egalitarian with everyone wearing various shades of slob. But there are subtle clues which over time I have started to learn.

The generic version of slob suits me just fine!

And here are some pretty chickens just because they are pretty chickens!

View attachment 3588413View attachment 3588414View attachment 3588415

They are beautiful pullets indeed . Very elegant now, even piglet.
Yeah, I remember thinking it was really casual in the US compared to where I lived in France. But that was Berkeley, 1992.
When I arrived in Nice for work in July 2006 I was astonished to discover men walking in swim shorts and women in bikini top in the main shopping street of the city .

8 weeks old today, and surprisingly, especially given the essentially feral first 6 weeks, Fez seems to be fully integrated into the flock, roosting in a coop, on a roost, usually next to or opposite the dom. Maybe it's because s/he was an only chick? Didn't you have an only chick ManueB? or have I confused flocks again ?
Anyway, the wattles haven't grown and I'm now thinking Fez is a pullet; if this is an 8 wk old cockerel's plumage I'll be very surprised. On the other hand, this chick has been a bundle of surprises from inception and I've already guessed twice it's a boy!
View attachment 3588629

No, I didn't have a single chick. I did express some worries for Fez in that sense, I think. You know, it seems mine that had the wattles at two weeks and three days are also likely turning into pullets, so maybe the wattles are not such a reliable indication depending on the breed ! Fez is absolutely beautiful and seen how advanced the feathers are I think you are right. Lea's chick's feathers don't look as adult even though they are older.
Is Fez weaned by the way ?
And how is Chirk ?
******************
Yesterday evening Cannelle and Nougat had a sort of rebellion and refused to go roost in the coop at the usual time of 7.15. My partner went against my opinion and mowed the whole chicken yard and they were having great fun chasing all the tiny critters and bugs that were on the surface ! After half an hour Gaston began to be really stressed out : he didn't want to leave the other hens in the coop, as Théo would come in, but Cannelle and Nougat were on the exact opposite far end of the chicken yard and he couldn't see them from outside the coop. He was turning very agitated, so at 8 I went to see the two ex-batts, and they just came with me in the coop. I think they just had a strategy to escape from being mated by both roosters as they are very insistent in the evening.
There are a lot of quarrels and alliances taking places between the chickens now, I think they are working out the hierarchy and who will be friend with who.

I went to the podiatrist and finally got both feet's horns taken out this afternoon, hopefully I can run again. We locked all the big chickens in the coop and run except Théo, who stayed outside, and Piou-piou, who was in the woodshed with the chicks, for three hours. They were unhappy but survived (with some cooked eggs, rice, zucchinis and apples to sweeten the jail).

Piou-piou seemed better today. Maybe it's the aloe, but I think it's more likely because it wasn't as hot. Also, she layed this morning and she didn't yesterday, and I've noticed before that she's the most unwell on the days she doesn't lay.

And Petit Blanc is now dominating Pied beau. Although he is way smaller, he is much more mature, already tidbits and crows, whereas Pied Beau is still a big baby like Gaston was.
Chipie and Cannelle having a girl's night out yesterday evening.

This morning enjoying the mowed soil.

Pied-beau .

The tiny tyrant.

The chicks eat parsley seeds.

Léa terrifies Piou-piou who dominates Merle, but Merle dominates and bullies Léa. Chipie terrorizes both Merle and Léa but Piou-piou fights her back.

This evening they napped a bit by colors. Most of the time, they are all mixed now.

 

[Perris]

Is Fez weaned by the way ?
And how is Chirk ?

No, s/he still cheeps and sticks close to Polka, who roosts alongside.
Chirk is making slow progress, not helped by Fforest getting into his pen and attacking him a few days ago. But he got 3 lady visitors when he was inside yesterday and he perked right up, even trying to do the wing dance. Female company is definitely the best therapy for him

I went to the podiatrist and finally got both feet's horns taken out this afternoon, hopefully I can run again.

You have horns on your feet? I think something got lost in translation or autocorrect strikes again - corns? Anyway I hope your feet heal quick.

 

[RoyalChick]

No, s/he still cheeps and sticks close to Polka, who roosts alongside.
Chirk is making slow progress, not helped by Fforest getting into his pen and attacking him a few days ago. But he got 3 lady visitors when he was inside yesterday and he perked right up, even trying to do the wing dance. Female company is definitely the best therapy for him

You have horns on your feet? I think something got lost in translation or autocorrect strikes again - corns? Anyway I hope your feet heal quick.

Spurs?

 

[ManueB]

Corns, I guess. And it's a translation mistake, but then I didn't even know what the french word meant before my feet got those.
The (young) podiatrist said it happens with age .

 

[Perris]

The (young) podiatrist said it happens with age .

and if you believe that, you'll believe anything!
I'd blame the expensive but too-delicate-for-the-job-they're-supposedly-designed-for running shoes!